I'm the first to admit that I am not very good at looking at music and knowing what level it is with regard to grades. I can look at a piece and know how it relates to the ability of the student in question, but if I don't know the student very well, this gets hard.

Of course I am familiar with Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca, I've heard it enough times and played it when I was a kid, but I have no idea what difficulty level it would be.

The reason I'm asking is because I recently had a student start who is apparently completely unable to read music, he doesn't understand note lengths, he can't recognise what a rest is and he has no concept of reading rhythm or time signatures. What he is very good at is playing from ear, and he can pick things up very quickly if I teach him by rote, playing things and allowing him to copy it (or maybe he watches my fingers ... ?). For the moment, I decided to work on learning note names and basic theory, alongside playing pieces that are around grade 2 level (1 of them is in the grade 2 syllabus this year) which is about his capabilities right now, because I don't want him to only be able to play by ear.

However, he came to the lesson last week and played me some of Rondo Alla Turca, which he says he found the music for at home. He claims he hadn't heard it before. I asked him to bring in the music so we could look at it together if he likes it. This week, he had learnt even more of it and played most of it fairly fast. Last week, for note reading practice, I asked him to prepare 3 'Dozen a Day' exercises for today's lesson but he wasn't able to do it - I had to go through all the notes with him today and it took almost 20 minutes. So how is it that he can apparently read through this Mozart piece all by himself? It's not that I think it's bad - it is fantastic that he is so enthusiastic and that he is able to do this - I just don't understand!!

I am very confused and not sure how to go about with him?!

For anyone who knows the piece but isn't familiar with the music, I found it here if you want to look at it:

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/5/5e...nata__K_331.pdf

It's on LCM's additional list for Grade 5.

I had a pupil in the past who could do this sort of thing too, with really good technique, but couldn't/wouldn't read music. I really don't have any answers for you. I did my best with him, but he ended up giving up lessons, preferring just to improvise and play by ear without formal teaching.

He maybe hadn't heard it before but then found it on youtube or some other way after he found the music for it?

I had a similar pupil who could rattle off a quite difficult Bach two part invention, but he couldn't read a simple beginner's tune (unless he happened to know the tune from ear)

He admitted the Bach piece took a very long time to learn from ear and he didn't have any other pieces up his sleeve at that level. It was impressive all the same

Just a thought but he doesn't have one of these teaching keyboards with lights etc that has it for a demo? Only ask as when I was at high school it was the demo on the school keyboards. It was amazing howm many people could "play" it. Not too well though actually.

Dulciana - it would be a shame if he doesn't continue, because despite his lack of basic technique, and no previous tuition, he does actually play with sensitivity and musicality, even when he doesn't really know the notes.



Thats very interesting, because his dad told me that they are making do with a keyboard until they buy a piano and that may well be the case!

I'll have to make sure he brings in the music to whether he is reading it or not!
Mind you - he might have read it in the firs place to learn it, but I wouldn't be able to actually tell because he can't follow music. He remembers it by ear and then plays through. When he makes a mistake or forgets, he has to ask me where he is. If I ask him to show me where he got to, he asks if he can start from the beginning again. I know that playing by ear is a coveted skill, but it surely must take him forever to learn the notes if this is they way he does it?

Some people think it is a grade 7 piece. May be there are different versions. I couldn't play because I have small hands.